Actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish embodies the ultimate rags to riches story. You may know her from her many stand-up specials, or films like “Girls Trip” or “Haunted Mansion,” or her Apple TV series “The Afterparty,” but her road to stardom hasn’t been a parade of laughs.
Haddish’s father left when she was a child, and after her mother suffered a severe brain injury in a car accident, she was put with her siblings in foster care. While there, her social worker took notice of her comedic talents, and encouraged her to channel her class clown charisma into a full on career.
Haddish followed this advice and began performing at comedy clubs, but she has said that it was not an easy climb. There were desperate times when she was homeless, or living in her car, but she didn’t give up. Comedy performances led to appearances on a variety of television shows and then regular roles on such shows as “The Real Husbands of Hollywood” and “Carmichael.”
Her big breakthrough came in a starring role in the 2017 road-trip film comedy “Girls Trip” with Regina Hall, Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah (a performance dubbed by the New Yorker as one of the “best in the century” so far). Today, Haddish is a successful comedian with several stand-up specials, film and TV roles, music releases, as well as an autobiography under her belt. She was the first Black woman comedian to host “Saturday Night Live,” an appearance that would earn her a 2018 Emmy Award.
While Haddish has come along way, she has continued to encounter challenges and personal issues that have thrown her life and comedy into controversy. She was arrested and charged with DUI in January 2022, and was sued with fellow comedian Aries Spears for alleged child abuse for in connection with several comedy skits the two created involving several kids. The suit was later dropped.
Haddish is on a stand-up tour with friend and “Carmichael” co-star Lil Rel Howery, which stops at Oakland’s Paramount Theatre Nov. 18. She talked to us about her tour and knack for using humor to heal.
Q: What can audiences expect from your show in Oakland?
A: They can expect a really great, straight-up comedy show, because I’m bringing it this time. I’m going to be talking about what’s been going on in my life for the last two years. Digesting this whole Hollywood thing, dealing with grief and making mistakes in front of the whole world has not easy, but what I’ve learned to do is find the joy. Find the funny. So I’m going to teach people how to do that, and how to heal. You can’t heal from something unless you can laugh about it.
Q: You’ve been very open in your comedy about dealing with difficult moments in your life. How do you toe that line between humor and hardship?
A: It’s a conscious effort for me. The thing is, I’m not a victim … . I made choices to put me in certain places. Being a kid was the worst time of my whole existence, because I didn’t really have a choice. I had no power, no voice, no control. Now, as an adult, I have all this power to control my existence, so I’ve decided I’m not anybody’s victim. I’m going to share my experiences, and share the choices that I’ve made that got me in these situations. In my show, I do talk about some deep, dark stuff, but by the time I’m done, I’d hope that people might be walking about of there feeling a thousand times better. They might laugh so hard they lose a little weight.
Q: You joined laughter and darkness with your recent role in “Haunted Mansion.” Your character in the film is a medium, but do you personally believe in ghosts?
A: I believe that there are different dimensions and different realms that affect us in different ways. My grandmother, her physical flesh has passed, but maybe your loved ones are always with you, because she keeps showing up in my dreams, and I’m tired! She made me do a full boot camp last night! She’s getting me ready for success, telling me “Oh, that deal is no good, cancel that deal! Don’t do this, don’t do that!” I’m like, why is it always no, no, no? Where are the yesses, lady? You go back to heaven, I’m going back to sleep. My subconscious is off the chain. So yes … I believe in ghosts.
Q: Did your grandmother tell you to go on tour with Lil Rel? What made you two decide to team up together?
A: Well, Rel and I have been friends since 2004 or 2005. Before the fame, before the big time, we would do shows together. He would come to L.A., or I’d go to Chicago, and we would do little pop-ups here and there. Then, his big movie came out, my big movie came out, and life got crazy. We still talk on the phone for hours though, and I’m just like, “I miss doing our shows! Let’s go on tour!”
He can’t stand me though, because every time I say something, I’m adamant about it, and it always ends up being true. Like when we were younger, I’d be like, “Bro, we’re going to make movies together, we’re going to be in TV shows, we’re gonna be touring the world together.” That was around 2006 when I told him that. Cut to 2023, and it all happened.
Q: Which do you prefer, doing comedy shows or shooting for a movie?
A: Stand-up comedy is way more difficult than doing sketch comedy or comedy movies, because you’re on stage by yourself. You’re up there, all alone, in the lights. Luckily, when you’re shooting a production, there’s a crew there, so my goal is always to make the crew laugh. If I can make someone laugh during a take, then I win.
With stand-up though, it’s immediate, instant gratification. That’s why its my drug of choice. I hit those jokes hard. I’m scratching and itching for a laugh. Laughter sets off our dopamine, and that’s why people like being around funny people. It gets you high, and I get high on my own supply.
Q: How does it feel when you know that people are enjoying your comedy, or when you see people referencing your jokes in real life, like your iconic “she not ready” bit?
A: It makes me so happy, because I know that joy is spreading. I want that to spread like herpes, or like COVID. If everybody tried to make one person laugh every day, life would be so much better. There would be less hate, less violence, less pain. So when I hear people do my bits, or even if another comedian steals my joke, I’m like, still do it! Go for it! Bring the joy!
Q: With your background, does your success as comedian ever feel surreal, or do you ever get imposter syndrome?
A: No, I don’t think I’ve ever had imposter syndrome. I’ve always just seen myself as a regular person. As a foster kid, as someone that was homeless, struggling, but having this dream and being able to accomplish it, I know I’m being effective. I know there’s other foster kids that are seeing me and saying “If she could do it, I can do it. If she didn’t give up on herself, I won’t give up myself.” If you have that dream, you have to make it happen.
TIFFANY HADDISH
Performing with Lil Rel Howery in the Best Friends Comedy Tour
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18.
Where: Paramount Theatre, 2025 Broadway, Oakland.
Tickets: $52-$102; 510-465-6400, paramountoakland.org/
